ATL comment on skills shortages

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), comments on today's CBI and Pearson’s education and skills survey.

"With savage cuts to further education funding since 2009, by 14% for 16- to 18-year-olds and 35% for adult learners, it is unsurprising the businesses are struggling to find enough skilled staff.

“We are concerned to hear that the CBI and Pearson’s are finding that the apprenticeship levy is not being passed on to fund new programmes. We have long warned that the levy was likely to be used for existing employees instead of being used to help young people into jobs.

“We have also long complained about the inadequacy of careers advice and guidance. Schools lack the funding to provide it, particularly now when school budgets are so squeezed, and there is no properly co-ordinated careers advice available for young people. Schools need more help and funding to give young people good quality careers advice and it needs to be better co-ordinated and of higher quality.”

ENDS

Note to editors:

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 170,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, further and higher education colleges and universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice, and to work with government and employers to defend its members’ pay, conditions and career development.

ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.